AnnuAl report - Sustainable Development · 2015-09-02 · UN-Water / aNNUal rEport 2014 messAge from the chAir In many ways, 2014 marked a year of momentum for UN-Water. With the

AnnuAl report

UN-Water / aNNUal rEport 2014

messAge from the chAir

In many ways, 2014 marked a year of momentum for UN-Water.

With the final year of Millennium Development Goals on the horizon, UN-Water Members and Partners continued

to build upon progress achieved in 2013 to ensure water and sanitation issues remained central to the dialogue

surrounding the Post-2015 Development Agenda and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Indeed, the

proposal of the Member-State led Open Working Group, which was finalized in July, included a dedicated water and

sanitation SDG that captured much of UN-Water’s recommendations. I believe that this is a good illustration of the

rigor, collaboration, and ambition that has come to define UN-Water.

Other milestones throughout the year demonstrated the vast expertise and growing synergies that helped make

2014 a success.

In March, World Water Day presented an opportunity to reflect on the interconnections and interdependencies

of water and energy. By highlighting the interlinkages between water and other sectors—and their importance in

eliminating poverty—World Water Day activities sparked discussions around the globe about how we can ensure a

future where sustainable resources are secured for all.

In November, just a year after its formal inception as a UN International Day, the World Toilet Day marked

UN-Water’s first coordinated effort to raise awareness and inspire action to fulfil the right to sanitation.

Underscoring that access to safe drinking water and basic sanitation is essential to human health and survival,

the campaign’s success and global reach helped elevate sanitation issues in the eyes of the public as well as policy

makers at a critical juncture.

Overall, the efforts of our Members and Partners throughout the year helped place water issues at the heart of the

Post-2015 Development Agenda and pave the way for meaningful, collaborative discussions ahead. Never before

has our collective effort and ability to ‘deliver as one’ been so important, or effective.

About un-wAterUN-Water is the United Nations (UN) inter-agency

coordination mechanism for freshwater related

issues, including sanitation. It was formally

established in 2003, building on a long history

of collaboration in the UN family. UN-Water is

comprised of UN entities with a focus on, or interest

in, water related issues as Members and other

international organizations as Partners.

The work of UN-Water is organized around

Thematic Priority Areas and Task Forces as well as

awareness-raising campaigns it coordinates such

as World Water Day (22 March) and World Toilet

Day (19 November). The main purpose of UN-

Water is to complement and add value to existing

programmes and projects by facilitating synergies

and joint efforts, so as to maximize UN system-

wide coordinated action and coherence. By doing

so, UN-Water seeks to increase the effectiveness

of the support provided to Member States in their

efforts towards achieving international agreements

on water.

At the end of 2014, UN-Water had 31 Members and

37 Partners.

www.unwater.org

Michel Jarraud Chair, UN-Water

UN-Water / aNNUal rEport 2014 UN-Water / aNNUal rEport 2014

AnnuAlreport2014

2014 Highlights 6

Un-Water Activities 8 Special focus on Post-2015 8

Outreach And Communication 12 Major Events and Milestones 18 Publications 22 Programmes 24 Thematic Priority Areas And Task Forces 26 Other Activities 28

Governance And Financial Aspects 29

Annex 1. Members 31

Annex 2. Partners 32

Annex 3. Human Resources 33

Annex 4. Acronyms 34

contents


6 7

Delivering as one: UN-Water strategy 2014-2020In 2014, UN-Water launched its Strategy 2014-2020, in which it aims to help the UN system ‘Deliver as One on Water Related Issues’. In the context of the Rio+20 outcomes and the desire to respond to the needs and demands of the UN system in the Post-2015 Development Agenda, this UN-Water Strategy aims to aid the mechanism in its ability to continue to respond to the needs and demands of the UN system and of Member States in the new development framework. Read more at http://www.unwater.org/news-events/news-details/en/c/237161/

Water in the post-2015 development agenda In February 2014 UN-Water presented its technical advice on a dedicated water goal, ‘Securing Sustainable Water for All’, at a high-level event at the UN headquarters. This consolidated advice was the result of a year-long expert consultation process on water’s role in the Post-2015 Development Agenda and included five measurable and interconnected targets on universal access to safe drinking water, sanitation and hygiene; improving the sustainable use and development of water resources; strengthening water governance; improving water quality and wastewater management; and reducing risks of water-related disasters. These suggestions informed and were largely incorporated into the recommendations for 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) presented in July 2014 by the Open Working Group of the General Assembly on

SDGs, including Goal 6, ‘Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all’. More at http://www.unwater.org/topics/post-2015

Water and energyIn 2014 UN-Water focused the annual World Water Day on the topic of ‘Water and Energy’ to draw attention to the significant interlinkages and interdependence of what is known as the water-energy nexus. The main UN event marking the World Water Day 2014, coordinated by the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) and the United Nations University (UNU), was held on 20 and 21 March in Tokyo, Japan, which also saw the release of the World Water Development Report 2014 on Water and Energy. High-level participation included HRH the Crown Prince of Japan, several ministers and deputy ministers, and Executive Heads and Deputy Executive Heads of UN organizations. Several other events held around the world highlighted the topic, including the UN-Water annual international conference in Zaragoza, Spain, in January; a high-level event on Water and Energy at the UN headquarters in February; and other high-level events such as the 2014 World Water Week in Stockholm, Sweden, from 31 August to 5 September under the same theme. More at www.unwater.org/worldwaterday

Holistic monitoring of water and sanitation targets in the sdgs In early 2014, UNEP, UN-Habitat and WHO began discussions around the monitoring needs for water and sanitation in the post-2015 Development Agenda. Complementing

the work of the WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply and Sanitation (JMP) and building on existing monitoring initiatives and data centres, the GEMI (the Integrated Monitoring of Water and Sanitation Related SDG Targets) initiative was born. By the end of 2014 the initiative had been expanded to include FAO, UNESCO, UNICEF and WMO and brought under the UN-Water umbrella. More at www.unwater.org/gemi

We can’t waitAcknowledging that sanitation is a global development priority, in 2013 the UN General Assembly designated 19 November as World Toilet Day, coordinated by UN-Water in collaboration with Governments and relevant stakeholders. On World Toilet Day in 2014, UN-Water focused the annual World Toilet Day celebrations on the issues of equality and dignity, with a special focus on inequality in access for populations such as women and girls requiring facilities to manage menstrual hygiene, as well as those with special needs, such as the disabled and elderly. Key partners included the Government of Singapore and the World Toilet Organization. The 2014 World Toilet Day also supported the Sanitation Campaign to End Open Defecation, launched in May 2014 by the UN Deputy Secretary-General Jan Eliasson. The official celebration of World Toilet Day at a high-level event in New York also saw the launch of the 2014 UN-Water Global Analysis and Assessment of Sanitation and Drinking-Water (GLAAS) Report, ‘Investing in Water and Sanitation: Increasing Access, Reducing Inequalities’. More at www.unwater.org/worldtoiletday

2014 highlights

In 2013, UN-Water set out to provide a consolidated advice to the Open Working Group (OWG) tasked

with proposing the Sustainable Development Goals that would replace the MDGs. In July 2014,

the OWG adopted a proposal of 17 goals including one dedicated to water and sanitation.

Why was it important to come together and speak with one voice in this process? ‘Because the SDG

framework needs to address the full range of water issues,’ says Joakim Harlin, Senior Water Adviser

at UNDP and Coordinator of the UN-Water Working Group on Sustainable Development Goals.

‘All water issues are inter-related; water is connected physically but also throughout our societies

and our economies. This was only partially captured in the MDGs and needs to be explicit in the SDGs.’

The approach to proposing a larger focus was anchored through coordination. ‘The UN system and its

international Partners wanted to speak with one voice,’ explains Harlin. ‘This enabled us to provide Member

States with unified messages and technical advice based on our full experience and expertise.’

In the final phase of the work around preparing and proposing the SDGs, UN-Water was called upon to

support the discussions with technical clarifications on the proposed formulations and implications.

What type of reaction did you get from Member States? ‘The advice was well received and in our role as

focal point, we were able to provide consistent messages and call upon specific expertise when required,’

explains Harlin.

Looking ahead, UN-Water continues to provide advice and input into policy processes. ‘But after September

[when Member States will have agreed on the Post-2015 Development Agenda], one of the biggest challenges

will be how to assist countries in implementing agreed commitments, goals, and targets,’ says Harlin.

‘Here, UN-Water’s role will also entail monitoring and reporting.’ Challenging and exciting work ahead.

one voice for one sdg

Joakim Harlin UNDP


8 9

Special focus on Post-2015

In 2010, at the Millennium Summit in New York, Member States asked the UN Secretary General to initiate the process of a Post-2015 Development Agenda. In 2012, at the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development in Rio de Janeiro (Rio+20), UN Member States formulated their outcome document ‘The Future We Want’, including a commitment to a number of goals on sustainable development. To guide this process, an Open Working Group (OWG) of the General Assembly was created in January 2013. The OWG held 13 sessions between March 2013 and July 2014, and published their ‘Open Working Group Proposal for Sustainable Development Goals’ on 19 July 2014, including a Goal on water and sanitation. The proposal was adopted by the UN General Assembly on 10 September 2014 (68/309) as the main basis for integrating sustainable development goals into the Post-2015 Development Agenda.

During its work, the OWG received numerous inputs, including from a High-level Panel on Eminent Persons on the Post-2015 Development Agenda, a compendium of statistical notes from the UN Statistics Division, the UN Regional Commissions and the UN Development Group. At the time the OWG was created, the General Assembly also created the UN System Task Team on the Post-2015 UN Development Agenda (UNTT), to coordinate and support the Post-2015 process. The UNTT is co-chaired by

UN-DESA and UNDP and comprises 60+ UN entities and international organizations. The UNTT has structured the work into the areas of renewed global partnership on development, monitoring and indicators, and financing for sustainable development, representing three simultaneous processes leading up to the final design of the SDGs. Through a Technical Support Team (TST), of which the cluster of UN organizations contributing to SDG 6 is led by UNDP and UN-DESA for UN-Water, the UNTT provided the OWG with continuous support on technical issues (in the form of technical briefs), representing the consolidated view of the UN system.

In addition to the official UN process, there have been a number of independent

processes, aiming to provide input to the Post-2015 Development Agenda. One of the most prominent is the Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN), launched by the UN Secretary General in August 2012. The SDSN, gathering scientific and technical expertise from academia, civil society and the private sector, works to promote ‘integrated approaches to the interconnected economic, social, and environmental challenges confronting the world’. The network submitted a number of drafts on SDG indicators in 2014, open for public consultations and later aligning to the proposal from the OWG and the comments from the UN Statistics Division.

The network submitted a number of drafts on SDG indicators in 2014, open for public consultations and later aligning it to the proposal from the OWG and the comments from the UN Statistics Division.

On 4 December 2014, as requested by the Member States, the UN Secretary General presented ‘The Road to Dignity by 2030: Ending Poverty, Transforming All Lives and Protecting the Planet’, a report synthesizing all the work done on in the Post-2015 process, presenting a way forward for the Member States to consider in the upcoming negotiations. These contained six ‘essential elements’, or overarching principles, which could be used to communicate the 17 Goals and 169 targets of the SDGs.

As for the upcoming work, three separate tracks of international processes will commence in 2015 with the expectation of tying into each other. First, a number of intergovernmental negotiations are planned for the first half of 2015 between UN Member States in New York: a stocktaking session in January, followed by sessions on the declaration component in February; on the SDGs and targets in March; on means of implementation and global partnership in April; on follow-up and review in May; and finally, three sessions on the outcome document in June and July. The work will culminate with the UN Summit in September, expected to adopt the Post-2015 Development Agenda.

Second, in terms of monitoring and indicators, an Expert Group Meeting on the Indicator Framework for the Post-2015 Development Agenda will take place in February 2015, organized by the UN Statistics Division with participants from UN Member States’ national statistical offices as well as international and regional organizations, and with input from the UN TST. The meeting aims to advise the UN Statistical Commission on the overall architecture of SDG monitoring, including datasets, models, capacity-building, country engagements, etc. It will then be followed by the 46th session of the UN Statistical Commission. Similarly to the MDGs process, in which an Inter-Agency Expert Group on indicators was created, a new group is expected to be created for the SDGs to produce a set of SDG indicators for approval by the UN Statistical Commission in 2016.

Finally, in terms of UN Member States agreeing on financing for sustainable development, the main event in 2015 will be the Third International Conference of Financing for Development (FfD) in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia in July, expected to result in an intergovernmental agreement, which also is expected to tie into the Post-2015 Development Agenda, in particular to the discussion on means of implementation.

In addition, the High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF) will meet in June 2015 under the auspices

of the UN Economic and Social Council, the main UN platform on sustainable development. The theme of the forum, ’Strengthening integration, implementation and review - the HLPF after 2015’, will present Member States with the opportunity to discuss role and modalities of follow-up and review in the Post-2015 Development Agenda.” The function and role of the HLPF, and how it ties into thematic reviews, is still to be discussed by UN Member States.

un-water Activities

SECURING sustainable

warer foR all

Drin

king Water

Sanit

ati

on and Hygiene

and Water Quality

Wastew

ater pollution

Water resources

Water

Gov

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nce

Water-related disasters

World Water Day Facebook Contest - Water is Life © Rudi Dundas


10 11

With one common goal, solid content, and engaged individuals, the Post-2015 WASH Advocacy

and Communications Working Group made steady progress in 2014. The group was led by the Water

Supply and Sanitation Collaborative Council (WSSCC) and had been formed in 2013 to ensure that

the recommendations arising from the WASH sector expert consultation led by the WHO/UNICEF Joint

Monitoring Programme for Water and Sanitation (JMP) were fed into the post-2015 negotiations.

The recommendations from the group on how to formulate the WASH related targets in the proposed SDG

on water and sanitation were integrated into the UN-Water Technical Advice ‘A Post-2015 Global Goal

for Water’ and very close to what was finally proposed by the Open Working Group on SDGs in July.

‘I believe that one of the strengths of this group is that we had clear agreement on what we were trying to achieve

together,’ says Amanda Marlin, former Programme Manager for Advocacy and Communications at the Water

Supply and Sanitation Collaborative Council* who has been coordinating the group. ‘Of course, we are not

presuming to take sole credit for WASH being included in the Open Working Group’s proposal, but we were thrilled

to see that the recommended targets for water, sanitation and hygiene closely mirror our recommendations.’

In addition to WSSCC, the group includes, WHO, UNICEF, WaterAid, USAID, IRC and the World Bank Group.

It provided input for UN-Water’s broader technical advice to the Open Working Group. ‘Our intention had

been to formulate recommendations for targets and indicators that would fit into whatever framework

was adopted.’, explains Marlin. ‘So we were glad to see that this was, in fact, the case and our WASH

content became part of the comprehensive UN-Water proposal.’

Contributing to the UN-Water Working Group on SDGs was essential but it was equally important to have UN-Water

in the Advocacy and Communications Group. ‘Liaising with UN-Water and its Members and Partners was incredibly

important, especially given the official role of UN-Water [to provide UN system recommendation to Member States].

But also the exchange of information with regards to the broader water agenda was very useful,’ says Marlin.

‘Our group was looking at WASH related targets, but we were always conscious that this fit into a broader context.’

Could others benefit from creating advocacy groups? ‘I think these types of groups work best if they are focused on a

common, fairly narrow, objective and if they are time bound,’ says Marlin. ‘It has to be a good use of people’s time.’

*In May 2015, Amanda Marlin took up the position of Coordinator of Sanitation and Water for All.

common effort for a common goal

un-water’s involvement

In 2013, UN-Water undertook an expert consultation process on the Post-2015 Development Agenda, including its 31 UN system Members and 30+ international Partners, resulting in the report ‘A Post-2015 Global Goal for Water – Synthesis of key findings and recommendations from UN-Water’. The report promotes a holistic goal with five targets on drinking water, sanitation and hygiene; water resources; water governance; water-related disasters; and wastewater pollution and water quality.

In 2014, UN-Water continued its work with the SDGs, through its Working Group on Sustainable Development Goals, coordinated by UNDP. Most importantly, UN-Water attended several of the OWG sessions and provided continuous support to both the OWG directly and through the TST. UN-Water Partner GWP also brought together around 1,200 participants in 29 countries between February and April 2014 for a second round of national stakeholder consultations on water and sanitation, the resulting report of which was submitted to the OWG in June.

Much of the UN-Water recommendations were captured in the OWG proposed SDG 6 and SDG 11 targets, which read as follows:

6.1 By 2030, achieve universal and equitable access to safe and affordable drinking water for all

6.2 By 2030, achieve access to adequate and equitable sanitation and hygiene for all and end open defecation, paying special attention to the needs of women and girls and those in vulnerable situations

6.3 By 2030, improve water quality by reducing pollution, eliminating dumping and minimizing release of hazardous chemicals and materials, halving the proportion of untreated wastewater, and increasing recycling and safe reuse by x% globally

6.4 By 2030, substantially increase water-use efficiency across all sectors and ensure sustainable withdrawals and supply of freshwater to address water scarcity and substantially reduce the number of people suffering from water scarcity

6.5 By 2030 implement integrated water resources management at all levels, including through transboundary cooperation as appropriate

6.6 By 2020 protect and restore water-related ecosystems, including mountains, forests, wetlands, rivers, aquifers and lakes

11.5 By 2030, significantly reduce the number of deaths and the number of people a-ffected and decrease by [x] per cent the economic losses relative to gross domestic product caused by disasters, including water-related disasters, with a focus on protecting the poor and people in vulnerable situations

Amanda Marlin WSSCC*


12 13

In 2014, the UN system – working closely with its Member States and other relevant stakeholders –collectively brought its attention to the water-energy nexus, particularly addressing inequities, especially for the ‘bottom billion’ who live in slums and impoverished rural areas and survive without access to safe drinking water, adequate sanitation, sufficient food and energy services.

Reflecting the closely interlinked and interdependent nature of water and energy, UN-Water selected the topic as the theme for the 2014 World Water Day, coordinated by the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) and the United Nations University (UNU). UN-Water’s World Water Day celebrations took place at the UNU headquarters in Tokyo, Japan on Friday, 21 March 2014. The webcast event featured discussions, a high-level policy panel, keynote speeches, cultural events, side events and the official launch of the 2014 World Water Development Report on ‘Water and Energy’. High-level participation included HRH the Crown Prince of Japan, several ministers and deputy ministers, and Heads and deputy heads of UN organizations.

The objectives of the campaign, carried out through the official website, social media campaigns, and high-level events throughout the year, were to raise awareness of the inter-linkages between water and energy; contribute to a policy dialogue that focuses on the broad range of issues related to the nexus of water and energy; and demonstrate, through case studies, to decision makers in the energy sector and the water domain that integrated approaches and solutions to water-energy issues can achieve greater economic and social impacts.

In addition to the event in Japan, many UN-Water Members and Partners organized their own activities around World Water Day, with many other organizations inspired by the water and energy theme. Around 1,000 events were registered on the World Water Day website, which had nearly 370,000 page views in March 2014. On social media, the hashtag #WorldWaterDay potentially reached 700 million people thanks to widespread use and celebrity involvement. Overall, media coverage was vast, with around 2,000 articles and features in major media and newswires, and several press briefings at UN headquarters in New York and Geneva.

Monitoring water and sanitation in the Post-2015 Development agenda

With the end of the OWG process, UN-Water began to focus its work on designing the Post-2015 monitoring framework for water and sanitation, building on the experience and lessons learned during the Millennium Development Goals period.

In close collaboration with the WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply and Sanitation, seven UN agencies (i.e. UNEP, UN-Habitat, UNICEF, FAO, UNESCO, WHO, WMO), with the support of the Swiss Agency for Development Cooperation (SDC) and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation (BMZ), joined forces under the UN-Water umbrella to develop the Integrated Monitoring of Water and Sanitation Related SDG Targets (GEMI) initiative.

The first partner meeting was held in Geneva in April 2014, whereupon seven task teams were established, focusing on domestic wastewater treatment and reuse, industrial wastewater treatment and reuse, water quality, water withdrawals and productivity, water withdrawals and ecosystems, integrated water resources development and Earth observations and data integration. The work of the task teams were presented and discussed in-depth in a technical consultation in Nairobi in December 2014, resulting in the drafting of a discussion paper for a first stakeholder consultation in January 2015.

During 2015-2016 GEMI will undergo a proof-of-concept phase in selected partner countries and will then start the global roll-out. The UN-Water work with indicator and monitoring options will feed into the work of the UN Statistical Commission to come up with a final set of SDG indicators.

Outreach and Communication

2014 saw a significant number of high-level campaigns coordinated by UN-Water, including the World Water Day campaign on ‘Water and Energy’ and the World Toilet Day campaign on ‘Dignity and Equality’. In addition, at high-level international events UN-Water released the 2014 World Water Development Report (WWDR) on ‘Water and Energy’, its technical advice on a dedicated water goal ‘Securing Sustainable Water for All’, and the 2014 UN-Water Global Analysis and Assessment of Sanitation and Drinking-Water (GLAAS) Report on ‘Investing in Water and Sanitation: Increasing Access, Reducing Inequalities’. Through social media, an improved UN-Water website that was launched in early 2014, and other channels, these campaigns and related publications reached millions of individuals and were well received.

world water Day 2014: water and energy

World Water Day, 22 March, has been held annually and celebrated globally since 1993 as a means of focusing attention on the importance of freshwater and advocating for the sustainable management of freshwater resources. The Day, which is organized by UN-Water, has an annually rotating theme and is coordinated by one or more UN-Water Member(s).

World Water Day Facebook Contest - Water, the Light of Life © Kabita Gautam


15

Water and energy are inseparable friends. Water is required to generate energy. Energy is required to deliver

water. When UN-Water chose ‘Water and Energy’ as the theme for World Water Day 2014, it was with the

objectives to shine a spotlight on the relationship between the natural partners, reach out to the energy

sector and highlight the role of water and energy in a sustainable future.

Two of UN-Water’s Members - United Nations University and United Nations Industrial Development

Organization - led the coordination. ‘The focus in 2014 enabled us to sketch out many of the cross-cutting

issues,’ says Zafar Adeel, Director of UNU Institute for Water, Environment and Health. ‘There are interlinkages

on many levels and this was clear during the celebrations in Japan at the UNU headquarters in Tokyo where

Ministers with responsibilities for different sectors -not only water and energy- participated. The presence

of the Crown Prince of Japan, Naruhito, was also a good measurement of the theme’s importance.’

The day after the celebrations the city of Kumamoto in Japan organized a field trip. ‘This is a fond memory

for me,’ says Adeel. ‘The enthusiasm expressed by this city, completely dependent on ground water, was

impressive and many of the participants found it very interesting to see link with energy in this context.’

Another example of the importance of theme was the public engagement that saw social media reach

a maximum potential of 700 million people. Among these, were the ones who participated in the photo

contest. ‘We received a large number of high quality photos from around the world,’ explains Adeel.

‘The winners were invited to Tokyo for the opening of the exhibition and were moved by the idea

that their photos would be used in a large awareness raising context.’

Why is important for a UN-Water Member to coordinate one of UN-Water’s awareness raising campaigns?

‘Many of the UNU institutes were partners for World Water Day and their collaboration shows internal cohesion

and unity. This contributes to UN system wide coordination which is important to UNU,’ concludes Adeel.

natural partners for world water day

water, sanitation and sustainable energy in the Post-2015 Development agenda

On 18 February 2014, the UN’s President of the General Assembly organized a high-level Thematic Debate of the General Assembly on Water, Sanitation and Sustainable Energy in the Post-2015 Development Agenda. The thematic debate, opened by the UN Secretary-General, Ban Ki-Moon, included participation by Member States at the highest possible level, observers, UN agencies and representatives of civil society, private sector, and other relevant stakeholders, and discussed the inter-linkages that exist between water, sanitation, and sustainable energy with many other issue areas, including agriculture, food security, health, education, infrastructure, climate change, peace and security, and gender equality. On this occasion UN-Water presented its technical advice on a stand-alone goal on water, ‘Securing Sustainable Water for All’, which received a broad measure of support.

world toilet Day 2014: dignity and equality

World Toilet Day was first established by the World Toilet Organisation, a global non-profit organization, in 2001 to draw attention to global sanitation issues. In 2013, the General Assembly passed a Resolution recognising World Toilet Day as an official UN international day (UN Resolution A/67/L.75). As part of this resolution, UN-Water was tasked with facilitating ‘the implementation of World Toilet Day in the context of Sanitation for All, in collaboration with Governments and relevant stakeholders’.

Similarly to World Water Day, UN-Water (through its Thematic Priority Area on Water Supply and Basic Sanitation) coordinates the annual theme and designates one or more of its Member(s) to coordinate the Day on its behalf. This is done in collaboration with other relevant entities such as the Permanent Missions to the United Nations, the World Toilet Organization, the office of the Deputy-Secretary General, along with other engaged international organizations and actors from the private and public sector.

On 19 November 2014, many of these actors came together to celebrate World Toilet Day in a high-level panel event in New York. UN-Water combined the panel event with social media and public engagement activities led by various UN-Water Members.

Zafar Adeel UNU-UNWEH


17

un-water ‘best Practices’ award

the 2014 edition of the ‘Water for Life’ Best Practices Award, introduced by the Chair of UN-Water, Mr. Michel Jarraud, focused on the theme of Water and Energy and was presented to two winners on 21 March 2014, on the occasion of World Water Day celebrations in Tokyo, Japan.

Introduced by Mr. Seishi Kohyama, Mayor of Kumamoto City, Japan, the winning city of the 2013 edition, the winner of the 2014 edition Category 1 ‘Best water management practices’ award was the International Water Management Institute (IWMI)-Tata project (ITP), India. The jury decided to select this practice for ‘directly tackling the socioeconomic environmental challenges related to the improvement of the energy-irrigation nexus by engaging with various stakeholders and for its strong potential for replication’.

Introduced by the Ambassador of Spain to Japan, Mr. Miguel Angel Navarro Portera and Mr. Zafar Adeel of UNU, President of the 2014 edition, the winner of Category 2 ‘Best participatory, communication, awareness-raising and education practices’ award was the NEWater Project, Singapore. The jury selected this practice ‘for its strong social component and enduring partnerships in its manifold and remarkable water management practices contributing to Singapore’s water and energy sustainability’.

Water and energy are relevant sectors for Swedish development cooperation, and highlighted in various

results strategies. They are also essential and part of core programs with aims towards overarching

development goals. In June, the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida) -

one of UN-Water’s donors - held a Development Talk* on the topic with UN-Water as an organizing partner.

For one full morning, the participants had a chance to discover the World Water Development Report, learn about

global water and energy demands and how the water and energy nexus impact global environment, food and

energy security. ‘The theme ‘Water and Energy’ was indeed timely,’ says Ana Gren, Senior Policy Specialist,

Water Resources Management and Sanitation at the Department for International Organisations and Policy

Support at Sida. ‘We received very positive feedback -both on the event itself and the report that we shared

afterwards. Not only did the participants get a chance to learn more and interact with international experts, but

we had a number of internal follow-up discussions and many people interacted on social media,’ continues Gren.

‘For us, this implies that the thematic is highly relevant, and that there is a strong interest from the public.’

In a panel discussion, experts provided their views on water and energy through different perspectives ranging

from food security, gender and climate change to regional and private sector issues. ‘One message that came

out clearly is that water and energy will play key roles in the Post-2015 Development Agenda and that countries

will need to see the inter-linkages through a sustainability and inclusiveness lens,’ says Gren.

In the future, would Sida consider organizing another event aligned with the theme of World Water Day and the World

Water Development Report? Gren concludes: ‘Yes, absolutely. For example in 2016, the theme is ‘Water and Jobs’.

This is extremely important in relation to almost all of Sida’s thematic areas of support, and we could clearly link it to

our focus on education, women’s economic empowerment, employment, poverty reduction and productiveness.’

*Sida’s ‘Development Talks’ are part of Sida’s seminar series to debate global development cooperation

spreading the word

Ana Gren Sida

© Marco Dormino


18

high-level panelists, took stock of the achievements and lessons learned from the International Year of Water Cooperation 2013, and discussed how to carry the global water agenda forward. The event also included a special roundtable on water-related disasters.

world water Day looks at water and energy linkages

Tokyo, Japan, 20-21 March 2014

The UN-Water celebration of World Water Day was organized by UNU and UNIDO on behalf of UN-Water on 20-21 March 2014 and took place at the UNU headquarters in Tokyo, Japan. On this occasion, the World Water Development Report 2014 on Water and Energy was launched, and the UN-Water ‘Water for Life’ Best Practices Award was given. The winner of the Stockholm Water Prize was also announced.

iFat trade Fair

Munich, Germany, 5-9 May 2014

As in past years, UNW-DPC coordinated UN-Water’s presence and participation at the biennial international IFAT trade fair in Munich, Germany from 5-9 May 2014, focusing on the topic of ‘Water and Energy’. More than 100,000 visitors attended the trade fair, including from ministries, governments, academia and the private sector interested in water and wastewater solutions. UN-Water’s presence included the trade fair’s UN-Water Center and a UN-Water seminar on ‘Water and Energy’.

africa water week

Dakar, Senegal, 26-31 May 2014

Over one thousand delegates attended the fifth edition of the Africa Water Week, convened by the African Ministers Council on Water (AMCOW) in conjunction with the African Union Commission and other development partners, to seek solutions to Africa’s water resources and sanitation challenges. The UN-Water Chair, Michel Jarraud, spoke at the opening of the event

about the increased attention water issues are getting - both in civil society and in the political realm, the benefits of wide partnerships, support for research, capacity development and long-term commitment for monitoring progress in order to implement the outcomes Member States decide on the Post-2015 Development Agenda.

launch of the un’s sanitation campaign to end open defecation

New York, United States, 28 May 2014

In collaboration with the Deputy Secretary General, Jan Eliasson, the Executive Office of the Secretary-General, and the UN Department of Public Information, the Water Supply and Sanitation Collaborative Council (WSSCC) and the UN Millennium Campaign launched a campaign on 28 May 2014 to drive progress on sanitation to 2015 and beyond. The campaign aims to break the silence on the fact that more than one billion people still practice open defecation. More information can be found at the campaign’s website, http://opendefecation.org/.

un-water annual Zaragoza Conference

Zaragoza, Spain, 13-16 January 2014

The 2014 edition of the UN-Water Annual Zaragoza Conference ‘Preparing for World Water Day 2014: Partnerships for improving water and energy access, efficiency and sustainability’, reached beyond the ‘water for energy’ and/or ‘energy for water’ concept to focus on a more practical examination of how tools and partnerships can help develop appropriate joint responses and what the measures are for managing trade-offs, identifying synergies, and maximizing co-benefits. Discussions centered around how partnerships can help implement responses to achieve water and energy efficiency, secured access and sustainability.

the african water association world Congress on water resources in africa

Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, 17-20 February 2014

As in past years, UNW-DPC coordinated UN-Water’s presence and participation at the biennial African Water Association (AfWA) World Congress on Water Resources in Africa, which took place from 17-20 February in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire. Participation included a UN-Water booth with information from UN-Water Members and Partners on the ‘Water and Energy’ topic as well as a technical session together with GWOPA/UN-Habitat on ‘Non-Revenue Water: Strategies for Capacity Building for Water and Sanitation Utilities.’

advice presented at side event during the President of the General assembly’s thematic debate at unHQ

New York, United States, 18 February 2014

On 18 February 2014, on the occasion of the President of the General Assembly’s thematic debate on water, sanitation and sustainable energy in the Post-2015 Development Agenda, UN-Water presented its technical advice for a dedicated global goal on water, ‘Securing Sustainable Water for All’. The side event featured a video message from the UN-Water Chair and Secretary-General of the World Meteorological Organization, Michel Jarraud, and interventions from the Chair of UN-Energy, Kandeh Yumkella, the Assistant Secretary-General for Policy Coordination and Interagency Affairs at UN-DESA, Thomas Gass, and the Deputy Executive Director of UNICEF, Geeta Rao Gupta. Member States and attending participants were invited to provide comments and feedback.UN-Water’s technical advice consists of an evidence-based paper and an Executive Summary, both outcomes of a year-long expert consultation processes UN-Water undertook starting in 2013 to help UN Member States in their forthcoming intergovernmental negotiations. The technical advice, which was well received at the high-level event, recommends a prioritization of water through a dedicated goal with five interlinked targets that build on and extend existing commitments such as

the Millennium Development Goals and the priorities agreed at Rio + 20. It marked the first time that the UN system, through UN-Water, has come together to provide one consolidated advice to help Member States in the forthcoming negotiations of the Post-2015 Development Agenda.

special event on the international Year of water Cooperation at unHQ

New York, United States, 11 March 2014

On 11 March 2014 the Permanent Missions of Finland, Hungary, Switzerland, Tajikistan and Thailand – the members of the Steering Committee of the Friends of Water Group – and UN-Water organized a special event, ‘Taking Stock of the International Year of Water Cooperation and Advancing the Global Water Agenda Post-2015’, in the Trusteeship Council Chamber of the UN headquarters in New York. The half-day event, opened by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Tajikistan, the President of the General Assembly and the Director-General of UNESCO, among other

Major Events and Milestones

Women collect drinking water from a hole dug in a dry river bed near Damra, Batpara, Goalpara District in Assam, and India. Photocredit: From Vishma Thapa (Freelance Photojournalist) Goalpara, Assam, INDIA


20

un Open working Group on the sDGs provides proposal

New York, United States, 19 July 2014

Concluding its thirteenth and final session in New York on 19 July, the Open Working Group on Sustainable Development Goals (OWG) proposed an outcome document with 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including Goal 6 on water and sanitation. The Goals and targets cover a broad range of sustainable development issues, including ending poverty and hunger, improving health and education, making cities more sustainable, combating climate change, and protecting oceans and forests. The UN General Assembly adopted the OWG’s report in resolution 66/288 on 10 September 2014, noting that the outcome document would be the main basis for integrating the SDGs into the future development agenda, to be agreed in September 2015.

un watercourses Convention goes into effect

Geneva, Switzerland, 17 August 2014

With the accession by Viet Nam, bringing the total number of Parties to the required total of 35, the 1997 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Non-Navigational Uses of International Watercourses (United Nations Watercourses Convention) legally entered into force on 17 August 2014.

world water week in stockholm

Stockholm, Sweden, 31 August - 5 September 2014

The World Water Week in Stockholm is the annual meeting place for the planet’s most urgent water-related issues. Organized by the Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI), a Partner of UN-Water, it brings together 2,500 experts, practitioners, decision-makers and business innovators from around the globe to exchange ideas, foster new thinking and develop solutions. In 2014, the World Water Week was held under the theme ‘Energy and Water’. as in past years, UN-Water organized several events at the Week, including the annual UN-Water Stakeholder Dialogue (in 2014 on ‘Water-Energy Nexus’) co-coordinated by UNW-DPC and the German Government, a review and preview of the World Water Development Reports, and an event on the World Water Day campaign for 2015: Water and Sustainable Development, organized by UNDP.

second special rapporteur appointed for human rights to water and sanitation

Geneva, Switzerland, 6 November 2014

On 6 November 2014, the UN Human Rights Council appointed Mr. Léo Heller of Brazil as the second Special Rapporteur on the human right to safe drinking water and sanitation. The rights to water and sanitation require an explicit focus on the most disadvantaged

and marginalized, as well as an emphasis on participation, empowerment, accountability and transparency. The mandate of the Special Rapporteur on the human right to safe drinking water and sanitation, a Partner with Special Status within UN-Water, was first established in 2008 (then known as the Independent Expert on the human rights obligations related to access to safe drinking water and sanitation) to examine these crucial issues and provide recommendations to Governments, the United Nations and other stakeholders. The UN General Assembly explicitly recognized the human right to water and sanitation in 2010.

world toilet Day celebrations and launch of 2014 Glaas report

New York, United States, 19 November 2014

UN-Water’s 2014 World Toilet Day celebrations took place on 19 November at a high-level panel in New York on the topic of ‘Dignity and Equality’. The event was coordinated by UN-Water’s Thematic Priority Area on Water Supply and Basic Sanitation and carried out by the Permanent Mission of Singapore to the United Nations and the office of the UN’s Deputy-Secretary-General. The event also saw the launch of the 2014 UN-Water Global Analysis and Assessment of Sanitation and Drinking-Water (GLAAS) Report, ‘Investing in Water and Sanitation: Increasing Access, Reducing Inequalities’. The New York event at UN headquarters combined a high- level panel event that was attended by more than 70 people, with social media and public engagement activities. It was led by various UN-Water Members and helped forge a basis for partnerships with other organizations interested in the topic and the Day.

World Toilet Day is a newcomer in the UN family of internationally marked days.

But why do we a World Toilet Day when there are 117 other international days?

‘Three major reasons,’ says Corinne Schuster-Wallace from the United Nations University’s Institute for

Water, Environment and Health and coordinator of the UN-Water Thematic Priority Area on Water Supply

and Basic Sanitation. ‘First of all, sanitation is typically surrounded by taboos so it is important to open

up the subject and start talking about it. Second, sanitation has always been the poor cousin of water:

investments in drinking water have seen massive progress while sanitation has not.

This is also why the MDG sanitation target is the furthest off track. Thirdly, when sanitation is lacking,

it has an enormous negative impact on the environment, the economy and people’s health.’

In 2013, the UN General Assembly designated 19 November as World Toilet Day and mandated UN-Water to

coordinate with Governments and relevant stakeholders. But World Toilet Day has already been celebrated

by many organizations and people around the world for some time. So what can UN-Water bring with this

awareness raising campaign that other organizations aren’t already doing?

‘Many of the organizations that celebrated World Toilet Day before it became an official day are indeed Members

and Partners of UN-Water, says Schuster-Wallace. ‘Together, we are greater than the sum of the parts and we

can bring coherence to the day and greater awareness outside the sanitation community though annual themes.

UN-Water contributes high-level engagement, convening power and global reach .’

Any specific hopes for the 2015 campaign on the theme ‘Toilets and Nutrition’? Shuster-Wallace concludes:

‘Yes, I have high hopes! In 2014, we were able to establish a strong coordination between the partners that

included a common theme, one unifying logo, and a website working both as a platform for the partners to

disseminate information and as a means for the public to get access to material. Building on all of this, I would

like to see even more people engaging and realizing that sanitation can be a solution and not only a problem.’

Yet another international day?

Corinne Schuster-Wallace UNU-UNWEH


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un-water strategy 2014-2020

In January 2014 UN-Water launched its Strategy 2014-2020, in which it aims to help the UN system ‘Deliver as One on Water Related Issues’. In the context of the Rio+20 outcomes and the desire to respond to the needs and demands of the UN system in the Post-2015 Development Agenda, this UN-Water Strategy aims to aid the mechanism in its ability to continue to respond to the needs and demands of the UN system and of Member States in the new development framework.

un-water technical advice for a Post-2015 Global Goal for water

In February 2014 UN-Water presented its technical advice for a dedicated global goal on water, ‘Securing Sustainable Water for All’.

UN-Water’s technical advice consists of an evidence-based paper and an Executive Summary, both outcomes of a year-long expert consultation processes UN-Water undertook starting in 2013 to help UN Member States in their forthcoming intergovernmental negotiations. The technical advice recommends a prioritization of water and sanitation through a dedicated goal with five interlinked targets that build on and extend existing commitments such as the Millennium Development Goals and the priorities agreed upon at Rio + 20. It marks the first time that the UN system, through UN-Water, has come together to provide one consolidated recommendation to help Member States in the forthcoming negotiations of the Post-2015 Development Agenda.

un world water Development report 2014 on water and energy

The UN World Water Development Report is the reference publication of the UN system on the status of the freshwater resource. The Report is the result of the strong collaboration among UN-Water Members and Partners and it represents the coherent and integrated response of the UN system to freshwater-related issues and emerging challenges. The report production is coordinated by the World Water Assessment Programme of UNESCO and the theme is harmonized with the theme of World Water Day (22 March). From 2003 to 2012, the WWDR was released every three years. As of 2014, the Report is released annually to provide the most up to date and

factual information of how water-related challenges are addressed around the world.

The 2014 edition focussed on ‘Water and Energy’ and was launched during the World Water Day celebration in Tokyo on 21 March. In 2014, from March to the end of the year, the Report was downloaded 40,000 times (55,000 times as of July 2015).

un-water analysis of coordination efforts at country level

Resulting from extensive work by its Task Force on the topic, UN-Water released a report on country-level coordination in the water sector in April 2014. The report looks at experiences from countries and finds that coordination can assist countries to take great steps forward, when managed effectively, to support the development of national policies and strategies for the water sector. The report also explores emerging lessons and argues that the majority of countries are adopting a more integrated approach to water resources management but that the process itself remains challenging. The need for coordination is increasing and water governance issues like policy and strategy, river basin management, support to development of regional water-sharing agreements, participation of stakeholders, competition among stakeholders and sectors, and the human right to water are only some of the issues that call for consultation and coordination.

un-water Global analysis and assessment of sanitation and Drinking-water (Glaas)

GLAAS reports on the capacity of countries to make progress towards the Millennium Development Goals’ water and sanitation targets and on the effectiveness of external support agencies to facilitate this process. The report is produced by the World Health Organization (WHO) on behalf of UN-Water and is published every two years.

the 4th edition of GLAAS was launched on the World Toilet Day 2014, 19 November 2014, presenting data from 94 countries and 23 external support agencies. Key findings include that governments show strong support for universal access to drinking-water and sanitation, but political aspirations are impeded by weak country-level capacity to develop targets and plans as well as implement and monitor projects; WASH in schools and health care facilities are neglected, undermining prevention and response to disease outbreaks; although international and regional efforts are increasing, national efforts in WASH (and especially the hygiene component) are insufficient; lack of human resources constrains the sector; and as for disadvantaged groups, needs are high but expenditures low.

The report also covers the first results from the ‘Tracking Financing to WASH’ (TrackFin) initiative, applied in three pilot countries (Brazil, Ghana and Morocco). TrackFin aims to establish a globally accepted methodology to track financing to WASH at the national level, so as to improve our understanding of

financing in the WASH sector. Main findings from the pilot phase include a strong national interest in tracking finance in the sector; that information on WASH financing exists, but is fragmented and involves many actors; that if data are lacking, initial estimates can overcome gaps and identify ways of improving data collection; and that the methodology is applicable and does not require major modifications. The next steps would be to organize a second phase for the initial pilot countries, and extend it to new countries, taking into account the lessons learned from the first phase. It would also be imperative to develop a data collection tool to support countries to produce national WASH-accounts on a regular basis, and to communicate the findings to enable evidence-based and cost-effective decision-making in the WASH sector.

In addition, UN-Water published a special report for the Sanitation and Water for All (SWA) High-Level Meeting in April 2014, summarizing the main findings from GLAAS 2013-2014.

STRATEGY2014 – 2020

ON

O N ED E L I V E R I N G A S

WATER RELATED ISSUES

VOLUME 1

Report

Coordination of Water Actionsat the Country Level

A Report of the UN-Water Task Forceon Country Level Coordination

April 2014

http://www.who.int/water_sanitation_health/glaas/en/contact email: [email protected]

ISBN 978 92 4 150808 7

INVESTING IN WATER AND SANITATION: INCREASING ACCESS, REDUCING INEQUALITIESUN-Water Global Analysis and Assessment of Sanitation and Drinking-Water GLAAS 2014 Report

GLAAS

INCREASIN

G ACCESS, REDUCIN

G INEQUALITIES 2

014

14122_Cover 5mm spine_GLAAS Report.indd 1 11/12/2014 18:30

Drin

king W

ater,

Sani

tatio

n and Hygiene

Waste

water P

ollution

and

Water Q

uality

Water-Related Disasters

Wat

er G

ove

rnan

ce

Water Resources

SECURINGSUSTAINABLE

WATERFOR ALL

Technical Advice

Executive SummaryDetailed Targets and Associated Indicators

A Post-2015 GlobalGoal for Water:Synthesis of key findings and recommendations from UN-Water

A Post-2015 GlobalGoal for Water:Synthesis of key findings and recommendations from UN-Water

Publications


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ProgrammesUN-Water has two Programmes that operate within the International Decade for Action, ‘Water for Life’ 2005-2015. In 2014, both Programmes continued to be active in support of the UN-Water mechanism.

un-water Decade Programme on advocacy and Communication (unw-DPaC)

In 2014, UNW-DPAC’s activities focused on the themes of water and energy and MDGs/Post-2015. UNW-DPAC co-organised and participated in numerous sessions at international events, such as the World Water Day celebrations in Tokyo, the Deutsche Welle Global Media Forum in Germany, and the Stockholm World Water Week in Sweden.

In preparation for World Water Day 2014, UNW-DPAC organized the International Annual UN-Water Zaragoza Conference in January 2014 under the title ‘Preparing for World Water Day 2014: Partnerships for improving water and energy access, efficiency and sustainability’. The event was attended by nine UN agencies and more than 120 experts, representatives of international companies in the water and energy sector, government and non-governmental organizations from 13 to 16 January in Zaragoza, Spain, to address the challenges, relationships and joint solutions that arise in ensuring access, efficiency and sustainability in the provision of water and energy.

UNW-DPAC continued to update and maintain the ‘Water for Life’ Decade website and the weekly newsletter, the ‘Decade’s Weekly’, which brings to its readers every week the latest water-related news from the Water Decade and the UN system. UNW-DPAC also continued to update the UN Water Documentation Centre on Water and Sanitation and release

every two months a review of the latest publications produced by United Nations agencies and programmes on issues related to water and sanitation.

the 2014 edition of the ‘Water for Life’ UN-Water Best Practices Award was presented to its winners during the official World Water Day celebrations in Tokyo, Japan. The purpose of the ‘Water for Life’ UN-Water Best Practices Award is to promote efforts to fulfil international commitments made on water and water-related issues by 2015 through recognition of outstanding best practices that can ensure the long-term sustainable management of water resources and contribute to the achievement of internationally agreed goals and targets contained in the Millennium Development Goals, Agenda 21 and the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation.

UNW-DPAC maintained an active Media Programme including by supporting African and Latin American and Caribbean media networks, preparing a web media corner, organizing dialogues for media at major events and preparing and facilitating articles and interviews.

un-water Decade Programme on Capacity Development (unw-DPC)

UNW-DPC coordinated numerous capacity development projects, workshops and publications in 2014 in support of UN-Water, many of them focusing on the capacity development aspects of ‘Water and Energy’.

Throughout 2014 UNW-DPC also continued to coordinate the multi-year UN-Water initiative on ‘National Drought Management Policies’ in collaboration with UNCCD, WMO, FAO and CBD. The initiative, which was launched in March 2013 in the presence of the UN-Water Chair on the occasion of the High-level Meeting on National Drought Policy in Geneva, Switzerland, aims to develop capacities in order to enable countries to develop pro-active, risk-based drought management policies and overcome prevailing structures of reactive and post-hazard management strategies. The third and fourth regional workshops for the ‘National Drought Management Policies’ UN-Water Initiative took place in May 2014 in Hanoi, Viet Nam for Asia-Pacific Countries

and 5-8 August 2014 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia for Eastern and Southern African Countries. In recognition of the relevance of drought issues for African countries, an additional fifth regional workshop beyond the initial scope was held for Near East and North African Countries from 17-20 November 2014 in Cairo, Egypt , and a final, sixth regional workshop for West Africa was scheduled for 4-7 May 2015 in Accra, Ghana.

In September 2014, UNW-DPC organized the well-attended and viewed (on webcast) annual UN-Water Stakeholder Dialogue at the Stockholm World Water Week, focusing on the ‘Water-Energy-Food Nexus and the Post-2015 Development Agenda’. On request from UN-Water, UNW-DPC co-coordinated the event together with the German Government.

UNW-DPC also continued to improve and add to the UN-Water Activity Information System (UNW-AIS), a UN-Water online platform to present and share information on water-related projects and learning initiatives from UN-Water Members and Partners. On request form UN-Water, UNW-DPC developed and implemented the organized call to update the UNW-AIS in collaboration with UN-Water Members and Partners. In the UNW-AIS, information is available on water-related field projects and programmes, joint activities and learning initiatives categorized by focus areas and regional scope ranging from global to local level. Project information and e-learning form the two core components of UNW-AIS.

© Donkeycart


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Thematic Priority Areas and Task ForcesThe majority of UN-Water’s work is carried out by its UN agency Members and outside Partners, which organize around different topics such as long-term Thematic Priority Areas (TPAs), time-bound Task Forces (TFs) or shorter-term and internal Working Groups or Advisory Groups as the need arises.

tPa on transboundary waters

The TPA on Transboundary Waters, coordinated by UNECE and UNESCO, was established in 2010. The TPA aims to assist Member States in managing their transboundary waters by providing a forum to share lessons learnt and improve networking, and also to ensure that transboundary waters occupy a high position on the political agenda.

In 2014, the TPA on Transboundary Waters continued its effort of collecting good practices on transboundary water cooperation, adding to a total of 25 good practices by the end of the year. An online template has also been created by UNW-DPC within the UN-Water Activity Information System, for Member States to publish good practice examples online (see http://www.ais.unwater.org/ais/TPA_Transboundary/). Results will be published online, accompanied by a hard-copy flyer in various languages, to promote the activity.

The UN Convention on the Law of the Non-Navigational Uses of International Watercourses entered into force on the 17 of August 2014. Several members of the TPA organized events at the 2014 World Water Week in Stockholm to raise awareness on the Conventions.

tPa on water and Climate Change

The TPA on Water and Climate Change, coordinated by WMO, was established in 2010. The objective of the TPA is to provide a platform to discuss climate change and water linkages in their widest sense, and it has consolidated information on water and climate change-related activities of its members.

In 2014, in preparation for COP-20 in Lima, Peru, the TPA on Water and Climate Change prepared a background brief on the role of water in adaption to climate change as a contribution to a paper prepared by the UN System’s High-Level Committee on Programmes.

tPa on water scarcity / working Group on Water Efficiency

The TPA on Water Scarcity, coordinated by FAO, was established in 2014 and includes a Working Group on Water Efficiency. The TPA is developing case studies on the assessment of major existing water governance and water tenure arrangements. Through its Working Group on Water Efficiency, the TPA is also developing a UN-Water Analytical Brief on Water Efficiency.

tPa on water supply and basic sanitation / tF on Capacity Development for water Operators

The TPA on Water Supply and Basic Sanitation coordinated by UNU and UN-Habitat, was established in 2010 to support the achievement of the MDG targets on water and sanitation, by improving collaboration and coordination between UN as well as non-UN initiatives related to water and sanitation. Under its umbrella, the TPA has a TF on Capacity Development for Water Operators, established in 2012 to strengthen coordination of UN-Water’s efforts to develop capacity at the water operator level, and to capitalize on UN-Water Members’ and Partners’ work in support of public utilities responsible for water supply and sanitation services.

The TPA arranged World Toilet Day 2014, held at the UN headquarters in New York. The on-going work with World Toilet Day 2015 is co-coordinated by UNICEF and supported by UNSGAB. The TF conducted a Baseline Survey on Capacity Development Resources for Water Operators, discussed in an ‘Assessment Workshop on Capacity Development Resources for Water and Sanitation Operators’ in June 2014 in Delft, the Netherlands, hosted by UNESCO-IHE. Results and recommendations were published in a report. In 2015, this work will be continued by developing specific materials for the training of water operators.

tPa on water Quality

The TPA on Water Quality, coordinated by UNEP, was established in 2010 and aims to enhance inter-agency collaboration and support Member States in addressing global water quality challenges. The aim is also to monitor and report on the state of ambient water quality, identify emerging issues and propose relevant responses.

The major activities in the TPA work plan for 2014/2015 include a compendium of water quality guidelines, the UN-Water Analytical Brief on Water Quality and an international conference on water quality. The compendium and the Analytical Brief will be published in 2015.

tF on Country-level Coordination

The TF on Country-level Coordination, coordinated by UNDP and UNW-DPC, was established in 2007 with the primary objective to improve and scale up the delivery of UN actions in water resources management and the provision of water supply and sanitation services, through improved country-level coherence and coordination.

The UN Special Rapporteur on the human right to safe drinking water and sanitation (SR), a UN-Water Partner with Special Status, conducted a number of official country visits to examine and provide support in accelerating the implementation of the human right to water and sanitation between 2008 and 2014, resulting in a report with specific recommendations for each of the countries. The SR has proposed that UN-Water take action to follow up these recommendations, and in 2014, the TF on Country-Level Coordination worked together with the TPA on Water Supply and Basic Sanitation and the SR to initiate this work. More specifically, they have developed a draft work plan on this country-level follow-up; identifying Bangladesh, Senegal and Uruguay as suitable pilot countries; and proposed to hold national meetings with relevant stakeholders in these countries. The plan is to conduct these pilots in 2015.

World Water Day Facebook Contest - The Glory Hole © Chris Arbuckle


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tF on regional-level Coordination

The TF on Regional-level Coordination, coordinated by UNESCAP and UNESCWA, was established in 2003 and aims to improve and scale up delivery of coordinated UN actions in water-related areas at the regional level. In 2014, the TF on Regional-level Coordination finalized a report on mapping regional-level coordination mechanisms, which was coordinated by UNW-DPC.

tF on wastewater Management

The TF on Wastewater Management, coordinated by UNEP, UN-Habitat and WHO, was established in 2010 and aims to facilitate coordination among UN agencies and partners on wastewater management and water quality.

The TF finalized the UN-Water Analytical Brief on Wastewater Management, to be launched in 2015. Another area of work in 2014 was on preparation for a second phase of the ‘Safe Use of Wastewater in Agriculture’ (SUWA) capacity development project. The first phase, from 2011 - 2013 in collaboration with WHO, FAO, UNEP, UNU, the International Commission on Irrigation and Drainage (ICID), the International Water Management Institute (IWMI) and coordinated by UNW-DPC, aimed to reduce the demand of freshwater by converting wastewater into a valuable resource for agricultural purposes. In addition to saving energy by reducing water consumption, the project enabled direct energy saving by reducing fertilizer usage and the amount of water needed for treatment. The plan for the second phase of the SUWA project was finalized in 2014, and fundraising to continue the project is underway.

The TF also devoted a significant amount of work to the proposal of SDG indicators on wastewater management and water quality, directly contributing to the Integrated Monitoring of Water and Sanitation Related SDG Targets (GEMI) initiative.

tF on water resources Management

The TF on Water Resources Management, coordinated by UNEP, was established in 2010 and aims to identify synergies in the independent work conducted on the management of water resources by the respective agencies, NGOs and private sector, as well as promote coherence in this work and better link it to other contemporary issues such as climate change, food security and the reduction of poverty.

In 2014 the main activities of the TF were to provide technical inputs to the UN-Water recommendation on SDG 6, the water and sanitation Goal, as well as directly contribute to the Integrated Monitoring of Water and Sanitation Related SDG Targets (GEMI) initiative.

tF on water securityThe TF on Water Security, coordinated by UNU, UNESCAP and UNESCO, was established in 2013, building on the work of a preceding Working Group with the same focus. The TF has the objective to create a space for dialogue on the topic of water security in the international water community.

Building on the 2013 UN-Water Analytical Brief on Water Security, the TF began undertaking in 2014 a more detailed analysis of the concept of water security and its implications, with the purpose of raising awareness and undertake participatory dialogue on the broad range of water security related issues. The work will be implemented

through a series of regional expert consultations, to be undertaken in close cooperation with the UN regional economic commissions.

Other Activities

the wHO/uniCeF Joint Monitoring Programme for water supply and sanitation (JMP)

The JMP 2014 ‘Update of Progress on Drinking Water and Sanitation’ was released in May 2014, presenting estimates for 1990-2012 based on data from nationally representative household surveys and censuses for the same period. Key findings are that usage of improved drinking water sources has risen by 13% since 1990, now at a level of 89 % of the global population; the 748 million people still using unimproved drinking sources are mainly located in sub-Saharan Africa and Asia; 64 % use improved sanitation facilities, representing a rise of 15 percentage points since 1990; open defecation is declining across all regions, but still practiced by one billion people, mainly in rural areas in about 10 countries; and there are continuously large disparities in access to improved services within countries.

In 2014, UN-Water worked closely with the JMP to develop a proposal on the SDGs and will continue to collaborate closely on inputs for targets and indicators related to SDG 6 throughout 2015.

DocumentsThe UN-Water Strategy 2014-2020 and the UN-Water Work Programme 2014-2015 are the main documents that guided UN-Water’s activities in 2014. All governance documents can be accessed at http://www.unwater.org/about-us/governance/en/.

Annual meetingsthe 20th UN-Water Meeting took place at the UN headquarters in New York, United States, in January 2014. The main discussion items were the finalisation and approval of the UN-Water Work Programme 2014-2015, of the UN-Water Strategy 2014-2020, and of the technical advice on a dedicated water goal. The UN-Water Senior Programme Managers approved the application of the Center for Affordable Water and Sanitation Technology (CAWST) and of the International Association for Hydro-Environment Engineering and Research (IAHR) as UN-Water Partners.

the 21st UN-Water Meeting took place in Stockholm, Sweden, in August 2014 on the margins of World Water Week. At this meeting the World Resources Institute became a UN-Water Partner. Among other matters, participants looked at upcoming activities for the 2015 World Water Day campaign on water and sustainable development and discussed the role of different stakeholders in the Post-2015 Development Agenda.

governance and financial Aspects

UN-Water Joint Steering Group (JSG)The JSG, created in 2010 to steer the operational management of UN-Water in-between UN-Water Meetings, met twice during 2014 via videoconference. At its meetings, the JSG discussed issues related to the management of the UN-Water Inter-Agency Trust Fund, the review of Partner applications, and the oversight of Thematic Priority Areas, Task Forces and Programmes.

The UN-Water Inter-Agency Trust FundIn 2010 the UN-Water Inter-Agency Trust Fund was set up in the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) in Geneva. The financial status in 2014 is presented below.

Germany and Spain also provided direct support to the UN-Water Programmes based in their own countries.

Balance forward (2013): US$ 1,374,675

Income (2014):

Germany: US$ 273,594

Sweden: US$ 660,825

Switzerland: US$ 1,815,921

Interest (2014): US$ 6,150

Total income (2014): US$ 2,756,490

Total expenditure (2014): US$ 2,778,281

Balance (31 December 2014): US$ 1,352,884


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World Resources Institute (WRI) is one of the newcomers in the UN-Water family. As a global research

organization with a strategic focus on water, WRI applied for partnership and were welcomed in August

2014. ‘Being part of UN-Water is exciting,’ says Betsy Otto, Global Director, Water Program at WRI.

‘It is an impressive group of international Partners and UN entities with a very challenging task:

finding solutions to the world’s water challenges’.

In WRI’s work, mapping, measuring and providing solutions is at the core of the water activities.

‘This is why it is very interesting for us to take part in the planning of how to monitor and report

in the Post-2015 Development Agenda,’ explains Otto. ‘We hope to be able to contribute with some of

our tools and resources that are already available, such as Aqueduct which produces global water risk

maps, and our baseline water stress indictor that measures sustainable levels of withdrawals.’

Water issues can be complex to understand, especially when they are seen in a holistic perspective.

One of WRI’s strengths lies in translating information and data into terms – especially economic terms -

that are compelling to policy makers.

‘This can be useful to start a dialogue,’ says Otto. ‘In early 2015, for example, we launched a global flood

risk analyzer that translates risks in countries, provinces and river basins and gives policy makers a tool to

start making choices on how to manage flood risks based on cost and impact on people and GDP.’

Another project WRI has developed will add to the collective knowledge of UN-Water through future water

stress projections, using the latest IPCC data, that can provide a planning tool for public and private

sector decision-makers. ‘At WRI we think it is very important to look for already available data that may

be difficult for decision-makers to find or analyze. We hope this can help governments make information

easily available to the public and also give them a tool for planning,’ explains Otto. This is for example the

case for India where WRI, working with WBCSD and CII, helped make available official government data on

groundwater and water quality through the open source India Water Tool.

WRI’s global scope fits well with UN-Water’s priorities. ‘Together we are trying to tackle something big here,’

concludes Otto and adds: ‘But the collective knowledge and consideration of how to do this is impressive.’

new partner on the block

Betsy Otto WRI

AnneX 1. members(Thirty-one as of 31 December 2014)

UN SecretariatOffice of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR)United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN-DESA)United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (UNISDR)

Programmes and fundsUnited Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF)United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD)United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women)United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat)World Food Programme (WFP)

Regional CommissionsUnited Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA)United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE)United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (UNECLAC)United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP)United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (UNESCWA)

Specialized AgenciesFood and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD)International Labour Organization (ILO)United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO)United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR)United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO)The World Bank Group (WB)World Health Organization (WHO)World Meteorological Organization (WMO)

other EntitiesUnited Nations University (UNU)

United Nations related organizationsInternational Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)

ConventionsSecretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD)Secretariat of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD)Secretariat of United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)


32 33

AnneX 2. partners(Thirty-seven as of 31 December 2014)

AquaFedCenter for Affordable Water and Sanitation Technology (CAWST)Conservation InternationalGender and Water Alliance (GWA)Global Water Partnership (GWP)International Association for Hydro-Environment Engineering and Research (IAHR)International Association for Water Law (AIDA)International Association of Hydrogeologists (IAH)International Association of Hydrological Sciences (IAHS)International Commission on Irrigation and Drainage (ICID)International Groundwater Resources Assessment Centre (IGRAC)International Hydropower Association (IHA)International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA)International Water Association (IWA)International Water Management Institute (IWMI)International Water Resources Association (IWRA)IRC International Water and Sanitation CenterMandate of the Special Rapporteur on the human right to safe drinking water and sanitation **Public Services International (PSI)Ramsar – Convention on WetlandsStakeholder ForumStockholm International Water Institute (SIWI)The United Nations Global Compact **The World Conservation Union (IUCN)United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) **United Nations Secretary-General’s Advisory Board on Water and Sanitation (UNSGAB) **Water Supply and Sanitation Collaborative Council (WSSCC) **Water.orgWateraidWaterLexWomen for Water Partnership (WfWP)World Business Council on Sustainable Development (WBCSD)World Council of Civil Engineers (WCCE)World Resources Institute (WRI)World Water Council (WWC)World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF)World Youth Parliament for Water (WYPW)

** Partner with Special Status

AnneX 3. human resources

Members of the UN-Water Joint Steering GroupMichel Jarraud, Chair UN-Water Ndey-Isatou Njie, Secretary UN-Water Blanca Jimenez-Cisneros, Vice-Chair UN-Water Pradeep Aggarwal (IAEA) (until August 2014)Carlos Carrión-Crespo (ILO) (as of August 2014)Carol Chouchani Cherfane (UNESCWA) Thomas Chiramba (UNEP)Sergio Zelaya (UNCCD)

UN-Water ProgrammesReza Ardakanian – Officer-in-Charge, UN-Water Decade Programme on Capacity Development (UNW-DPC)Josefina Maestu - Coordinator/Director, UN-Water Decade Programme on Advocacy and Communication (UNW-DPAC)

UN-Water Technical Advisory UnitDaniella Boström Couffe - Communications ManagerFederica Pietracci - Special Assistant to the UN-Water SecretaryFlorence Poppe - Programme OfficerFederico Properzi - Chief Technical AdviserTamara Slowik - Administrative Assistant (as of April 2014)


34

AnneX 4. Acronyms

bMZ ..................................................German Federal Ministry for Economic CooperationFaO ...................................................Food and Agriculture Organization of the United NationsGeMi ..................................................Integrated Monitoring of Water and Sanitation Related SDG Targets InitiativeGlaas ..............................................Global Analysis and Assessment of Sanitation and Drinking-WaterGwP ...................................................Global Water Partnership iCiD ...................................................International Commission on Irrigation and DrainageiwMi ..................................................International Water Management InstituteJMP ..................................................WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply and SanitationJsG ...................................................Joint Steering GroupMDG ..................................................Millennium Development GoalOHCHr .............................................The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights OwG ..................................................Open Working Group on the Sustainable Development Goals sDC ....................................................Swiss Development Cooperation sDG ...................................................Sustainable Development GoalsDsn .................................................Sustainable Development Solutions Networksr ......................................................UN Special Rapporteur on the human right to safe drinking water and sanitationsuwa ................................................Safe Use of Wastewater in Agriculture Projectswa ...................................................Sanitation and Water for AlltF ......................................................Task Forcetst ....................................................Technical Support Team of the United NationstPa ...................................................Thematic Priority AreaunDP ................................................United Nations Development Programmeun-Desa ..........................................United Nations Department of Economic and Social AffairsuneCa ...............................................United Nations Economic Commission for AfricauneCe ...............................................United Nations Economic Commission for Europe uneP ................................................United Nations Environment ProgrammeunesCO ...........................................United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural OrganizationuniCeF .............................................United Nations Children’s FundunsGab ............................................UN Secretary General’s Advisory Board on Water and Sanitationunu ...................................................United Nations University unw-ais ..........................................UN-Water Activity Information Systemunw-DPaC .......................................UN-Water Decade Programme on Advocacy and Communicationunw-DPC .........................................UN-Water Decade Programme on Capacity DevelopmentwFP ...................................................World Food ProgrammewHO ..................................................World Health OrganizationwMO ..................................................World Meteorological OrganizationwwaP ................................................World Water Assessment ProgrammewwDr ...............................................World Water Development Report

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UN-Water Technical Advisory Unit7 bis Avenue de la PaixCase postale 2300CH-1211 Genève 2 - [email protected] l www.unwater.org